AP college football poll: Ole Miss moves to No. 7 after win at Oklahoma

Ole Miss has moved up one spot to No. 7 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 after overcoming one of the nation’s toughest defenses in a 34-26 win at Oklahoma on Saturday.

The Rebels (7-1, 4-1 SEC) bounced back from last weekend’s loss at Georgia, though the path to victory was not without its obstacles versus the Sooners.

Lane Kiffin and company carried a 12-point lead into halftime at Oklahoma, but a series of unfortunate events for Ole Miss — a botched fourth-and-short play on the Rebels’ side of the field that kickstarted a 17-3 run by the Sooners — found the home team with a one-point lead with the fourth quarter looming.

The Rebels, however, reclaimed the reins in the fourth quarter, with an unexpected hero stepping up to the plate. Tight end Trace Bruckler, whose job is typically to block, scored an eight-yard touchdown on an impromptu toss from Trinidad Chambliss, giving Ole Miss the lead back with 11:33 left in the game. The New Mexico transfer later had arguably the play of the game in special teams when he forced Oklahoma star Isaiah Sategna III to fumble on a punt return, effectively sealing the game in red and blue.

“This was a big win. This was hard, and we didn’t want to go on the road and lose two in a row,” Kiffin said of the victory. “Obviously, we want to be undefeated, but 1-1 is something to build on.”

Ole Miss had 431 total yards and moved the ball effectively for the most part. Chambliss tossed for 315 yards and a touchdown, completing 24 of 44 passes against the Sooners. The Division II transfer’s top target was Watkins, who logged 111 yards on four receptions. On the ground, trustworthy bell cow Kewan Lacy had 78 yards and two scores.

Defensively, Pete Golding’s group bounced back from a dismal outing at Georgia, one in which it did not force a stop throughout the entirety of the four-quarter contest. Versus the Sooners, though, a safety, a pair of forced turnovers on downs, and a trio of sacks proved effective. Giving up explosive plays remained a problem for Ole Miss, nonetheless, as Oklahoma scored two 65-plus yard touchdowns on Saturday.

Rebel edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen was the shining star for the visitors. The brother of former Ole Miss standout Princely Umanmielen gave Oklahoma field general John Mateer fits all day, recording 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss. Suntarine Perkins also had a nice day on the stat sheet, with five tackles, 1.5 of which resulted in a loss of yards.

With the win, Ole Miss effectively secured its spot in the driver’s seat heading toward its first-ever College Football Playoff berth, as long as the team handles its business in its four remaining matchups. Next on the docket is a Nov. 1 home contest against a South Carolina team that gave Alabama fits over the weekend. That game will kick off at 6 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN, along with participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.

Though the initial College Football Playoff poll will not be released until Nov. 4, the latest AP rankings can be found below: